Resolutions You Can Keep

Updated on May 7, 2012

Americans have a tradition of making resolutions at the new year but you can set goals and reevaluate your life anytime. We should look at our current situation seeing where there is room for improvement, our careers, home, relationships or health. There is always room for betterment.

The key to keeping these goals is to not set them too high and give yourself a workable schedule. People often strive to exercise, lose weight and reduce their waistline; this is great but if you set a regimen so strict you dread putting on those workout clothes, it’s not going to happen. No one achieved a gold medal overnight.

Sometimes we have good intentions but things keep calling us away that are far more entertaining. If this happens don’t get discouraged, you can still get back on track.

While making your resolutions remember these things:

Set goals you can realistically achieve

Look at your personal situation and assess what needs the most work. Is it your career, education, marriage or hobbies? Don’t try to rehabilitate every aspect of your life all at once. Take one or two areas and focus on those.

Start slow. Rome wasn't built in a day. If you want to achieve finishing a novel give yourself an amount of pages you know you can do.

Cleaning out that attic or basement can be a huge job, enlist the help of your kids, pay a neighbor boy or hire a handyman to give you a hand. Not all jobs can be done alone.

Don’t let it get you down if things happen and you don’t make your goal

Sometimes things come up in life that take precedence over our set schedule that can’t be helped like pregnancy, sickness, death or job change.

You can start again when life slows down. Resolutions don't have to start on the first of January; you can make new goals anytime of year and for any amount of time: a year, six months and even a month.

Reset your goal until it is achieved.

Take your free time and break it down into workable parts

Maybe you can get up an hour earlier every morning to exercise, write or study for school. Don’t jeopardize your sleep if you are already sleep deprived.

Try watching less television or less time on the Internet to give you the added time with your kids or spouse that will help your relationship if that is what needs work.

Lunchtime is a spot you might use for your work. You can write, read that book on your list or even work out. If you are working on your relationship you can call your loved one if they have the same break; send texts or emails if they don’t. They can read them at their convenience.

Find an exercise that works for you

Going to a gym and lifting weights isn’t the way to lose weight or get fit. Try hiking in the woods, running, yoga or tai chi. If you are moving it is exercise. There are many forms of movement that will work you just have to find the one you enjoy the most.

If you want it badly enough you will find ways to make time to get it done.

There is a saying, “If you want something done, give it to a busy person.” Busy people are great time dissectors and manage to achieve many things.

There are good and bad foster families but unfortunately, you only hear about the bad ones. I was a foster parent for five years. It had it’s good points but there are things you need to know if you are...